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S. L. COALES. D003 LATCH. E No. 280,581. Patented Jjyi, 1883.

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" S. L. CUALES.

DOOR LATGH. i No. 280,581. l Patented July 8, 1883.

Timm. v 12ga/626024 Samuel L/Zley Voel/Zed?,

UNITED STATES u PATENT OEE-ICE.

. SAMUEL L. COALES', OF NEVPORT-PAGNELL, ENGLAND.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 280,581` dated July 3, 1883.

Application filed January 22, 1883. (Model.) Patented in England June 24, 1881, No. 9,759.

T0 @ZZ whom it may concern.'

Beit known that I, SAMUEL LILLEY CoALEs, of Newport-Pagnell, England, have invented new and useful Improvements in Door-Latches, (for which I have obtained a patent in Great Britain, No. 2,759, bearing date .I une 24, 1881,) of which the following is a specification, reference being had to the accompanying drawings.

The object of myinvention is to provide an improved door-latch which is so constructed that the bolt thereofmay in a very simple manner be drawn back to release the door by lifting, pulling, or pushing a handle or handles, instead of turning the same to the right or leftin the ordinary manner.

My improved latch may or may not be furnished with mechanism to permit the locking of the bolt by means of a key.

The said invention is illustrated in the accompanying drawings, in which Figure I is a side view, Fig. 2 a front view, and Fig. 3 a plan or top view, of my improved door-latch. Fig. 4 is a side view of the same with the cover, and also the sliding piece hereinafter described, removed therefrom. ,.IFig. 5 represents a top view of the sliding piece shown in Figs. I and 3, and Fig. 6 is a similar view of a slightly-modified form of the same. Fig. 7 is a front view of my improved latch inserted within a door, and represents the same provided with two handles-one on each side, of the said door-for operating the bolt.

Like letters indicate the same parts throughout the drawings.

a represents the case or box of my improved latch, and b is the bolt arranged to slide o r travel within the said case or box a. One end of this bolt b has the usual inclined surface, b', which, when projected forward, extends outside of the aforesaid case and into the doorv frame, post, or lintel, in the usual manner, to keep the door closed. The inner portion of the said bolt is provided with an aperture or slot, b2, which extends completely through the metal of which the said bolt is formed. At the rear end of the latter, and preferably formed in one piece therewith, isa rod or extension, c, which fits'into an aperture at a in the rear wall of the box or case a, and, when the said bolt is withdrawn, slides rearward through the said aperture into a space which is formed or provided in the wood ofthe door before securing the latch in position. Upon this rod or spindle is placed a coiled spring, d, one end of which abuts against the inner surface of the rear wall of the box a and the other end against the rear end of the bolt, as shown, the said spring being so arranged that it constantly tends to shoot or force the said bolt forward. This spring is compressed when the bolt is drawn back, as hereinafter explained. "Any other suitable spring may be employed in place of that shown. Vithin the aforesaidaperture b2 in the bolt b, and at the rear end thereof, l provide an antifriction roller, c, against which works the sliding piece f, constructed as follows-that is to say, this sliding piece is formed on one side with two precisely similar inclined surfaces, j j", which are slightly curved and extend in opposite directions from the central part, f`, of the saidpiecef. These surfaces terminate in shoulders that serve as stops to limit or arrest the transverse movement of the said sliding piece when the same has been moved in either direction a sufficient distance to complete the drawing back of the bolt. The opposite side of the said sliding piece is straight and slides against the forward edge of the rectangular slots g in the walls of the box or case a.. One of the inclined surfaces j" slides over the friction-roller e when the sliding piece f is pushed or pulled in one direction, and the other surface when the said piece is pushed or pulled in the other direction, the bolt being thus withdrawn and, with the spindle c, forced rearward, so as to compress the spiral spring d. As soon, however as the sliding piece f is released, the said spring comes into action and pushes or projects the bolt b forward into its normal position.` In some cases the rod or spindle c may be arranged to work entirely within the case or box, instead of in a recess in the door beyond the said case.

In order to impart the desired transverse movement to the aforesaid sliding piece f, I provide the same with apertures h, into each of which' projects one end of one ofthe levers or proj ections'fi, forming part of or connected with the handles j. The outer surface, h', of these apertures may be straight, but is preferably rounded, as will be understood by reference to Fig. 6. One of the said handles'nis preferably arranged on each side of the door, as shown IOO that when one ot' the said handles is lifted, as

shown in this figure, it will pull the sliding piece f outward, and thus withdraw the bolt and allow the door to be opened. The said handles may be iliade oi' any desired shape and ornainentcd or decorated in any style. rlhe handle may, moreover, it' desired, serve also as a door-knocker, or be connected with a gong or bell. "When it is desired that the door should be unlatched from one side only, one handle only need be employed.

Then it is desired to provide means for locking the bolt b, l prefer to arrange nlechanisin within the box or case a, for this purpose, as follows-that is to say, I provide a small sliding plate, l, which works in a direction at right angles to the path o1" n1ove nient of the bolt b. The part Z of this sliding plate, when raised, serves, in combination with the shoulder 1*, as a stop to prevent the inf ward movement ot' the bolt b. The said sliding plate is provided with a suitable notch, with which the key engages, and with preferably two tuinblers or detaining-pieces, ym, which tit over a projection, on the said piece I. The said tuinblers are connected with separate springs at a, which retain thein in their proper position to prevent the inoveinent oi' the sliding` plate excepting when the key is used. This key is so formed that it pushes back the said tuinblers, and thus disengages the projection Z'l and allows the plate to be inoved on the turning` oi' the key.

The latch above described is very simple in its construction and operation, and is very dit rable. Moreover, it' the key should be left in the door, no injury to the knuckles can accrue in the opening of the said door, and the latch ean be drawn back very easily. Furthermore, the bolt may be readily reversed, so as to suit a right or left hand door, and the sliding piece f for one thickness of door may be easily replaced by another piece of different length to suit a door of greater or less thickness.

My sai d invention is particularly applicable to 1nortise-latches, but may, with obvious modieations, be applied to other kinds of latches, and the bolt may be arranged to be withdrawn either by lifting, pulling, or pushing the handle, in connection with the sliding piece f, which operates the bolt.

Vhat I claiin is- In a doordatch having a spring-bolt operated by a sliding plate having inclined surfaces which act upon a friction-roller journaled in said bolt, a pivoted elbow-levcr, one arm of which engages in an aperture in the plate to force it outward, and the other arm carrying a gravity-knob which is adapted to be used as a knoeker by oscillating the lever upon its pivot `i and striking the door with said knob, as and for the purposes set forth.

SAMUEL LILLEY CUALES.

lvitnesscs:

(uns. J. LANNANs, ALFRED J. (jouais. 

